Tue 16 Feb 2010
CW hands out early renewals; none of them Unexpected
Posted by Eric S under Dawn Ostroff Is A Twit, Eric S, MELROSE PLACE, One Tree Hill, SMALLVILLE, SUPERNATURAL, The CW, VAMPIRE DIARIES
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The CW joined the early renewal bandwagon today by announcing the green-lights for its top-rated (by their standards) series.
90210, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, and Vampire Diaries will all be back next fall, meanwhile the fates of One Tree Hill, Smallville, Life Unexpected, and Melrose Place are less clear. Smallville and One Tree Hill probably comes down to contracts, whereas Life Unexpected could really go either way. Ratings were decent out the gate but have dipped, granted reruns on Wednesdays are performing well given its a CW rerun. This show is still very much on the bubble, with the network likely waiting out a few more weeks of ratings data. As for Melrose Place, it’s far superior to 90210, but not even Heather Locklear could save this one from ratings doom. Barring a miraculous uptick in the ratings that show it keeping full retention out of 90210, it has no chance at a renewal. Here’s the full text from the CW press release about the other shows:
THE CW ANNOUNCES EARLY PICKUPS FOR FIVE SERIES
Freshman Hit “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl,” “90210,” “Supernatural” and “America’s Next Top Model” To Return Next Season
February 16, 2010 (Burbank, California) – The CW Network has given early pickups to five series for next season, including four signature dramas and the reality hit AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. All five shows will return in Fall 2010.
The series receiving early renewals include this season’s breakout hit THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, The CW’s most-watched show (4.6 million viewers) and the network’s number one show among adults 18-34 (2.5/8). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES premiere generated the largest audience in network history for a series debut (5.7 million total viewers). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has improved The CW’s performance Thursday at 8:00 p.m. by 114% among women 18-34 this season. The network also renewed fan favorite SUPERNATURAL, which will enter its sixth season next year. SUPERNATURAL has one of the most loyal audiences of any show on television and does heroic work in a perennially tough time period. It has improved over last season among women and adults 18-34 (29% and 8%, respectively) this season, a remarkable accomplishment for a fifth-year show.
Also given early pickups for next season are The CW’s Monday night sensation GOSSIP GIRL, which is The CW’s number one show among its target demographic of women 18-34, and Tuesday’s trend-setting drama, 90210, which sees some of TV’s largest percent increases from DVR playback, nearly doubling its women 18-34 live-only ratings once live+7 data is included. Wednesday anchor AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will also be back for cycles 15 and 16 with superstar Tyra Banks and new groups of aspiring models. TOP MODEL continues to rank second in the competitive Wednesday 8:00 p.m. hour among young women 18-34 (3.4/10).
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For most networks, an early renewal slate seems to mean they have faith in their shows, and are willing to give them a chance. With the CW however, while this could be true, I see it moreso as an attempt to give people “TV to talk about” before getting lost in the shuffle once the big 4 give their renewals, and they go back to being the network that no one remembers. While the fans of these shows will get a sigh of relief, the CW continues to be largely ignored, apart from Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl, while DC keeps trying to come up with another show to replace an aging, yet strong incarnation of their most well-known and viable franchise, Superman. I expect a renewal for the show, with great fanfare as it is announced it will by the final season, allowing the writers to give it an amazing sendoff, while DC figures out what the next show will be, asuming Human Target pitters out on FOX. As for Supernatural, while I commend the fans for being loyal and getting their show renewed, I am not a watcher myself. More power to them, and I like that its one of the few CW shows that isn’t geared toward the teen girl demo as most of the network is. Note to Dawn: It’s almost impossible to build a broadcast net on the back of a single demo. If you want that, go to cable. And while you’re at it, find a better brand. At least people knew what the WB was.
I am an addict of Smallville and i watch every series and season of it. I love Lana Lang and Clark Kent.:~;